Scottish businesses benefit from billions in public investment

The Forth Replacement Crossing is one of a number of infrastructure projects either underway or due to commence this year. (Photography by Scott Louden)

Published:19:00Sunday 20 March 2016

Share this article

Infrastructure projects totalling almost £6 billion will be under construction throughout Scotland during 2016.

And more Scottish employers than ever before are accessing public contracts.

Major schemes such as the first phase of the A9 Dualling Programme, the new Acute District General Hospital in Dumfries and Galloway and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh all commenced construction last year.

A number of others projects are set to begin later this year.

And the Forth Replacement Crossing, the electrification of the Edinburgh-Glasgow rail route and two new college campuses – the City of Glasgow College City Campus and the Ayrshire College, Kilmarnock Campus – are all set to become operational this year.

Keith Brown, the Scottish Government’s infrastructure secretary, said: “This is an extremely exciting time for infrastructure development in Scotland, which means good news for the businesses who can bid to deliver these projects.

“Contracts mean jobs, and we’re doing all we legally can to help Scottish businesses access those contracts.

“I look forward to seeing these projects come to completion, but also to seeing many more Scottish companies benefit from the Scottish Government’s record levels of infrastructure investment, as well as continuing to access contracts elsewhere.”

An update on the progress of major contracts has been published in the government’s latest Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP).

Recent independent research has also revealed that Scotland is spending more per head on improving infrastructure than the rest of the UK.

The reports come alongside the Scottish Government’s renewal of the contract to run the Public Contracts Scotland web portal – a vital tool linking Scottish businesses with work opportunities up and down the country.

Mr Brown said: “Our web portal will continue to be run by previous operator, Aberdeen-based Millstream, for the next five years, meaning that small and mediaum enterprises (SMEs) throughout Scotland have a one-stop shop for finding all of this potential business.”